NO LUCKY DIP FOR MY HEROES
Billy hails ICT for making most of reprieve
Billy Dodds hailed Inverness’ best performance of his year-and-a-half in charge as they turned good luck into a Scottish Cup shock.
The Highlanders were handed a reprieve in the competition after losing to Queen’s Park in the last round when the Spiders were found to have fielded on-loan Hearts striker Euan Henderson, despite him being ineligible.
And Caley Thistle grabbed their second chance with both hands as they did the double over Livingston after beating them in the group stage of the League Cup back in the summer.
A superb double from Billy Mckay either side of a header from skipper Sean Welsh earned a quarter-final place.
It took Mckay’s tally to eight from the last seven games as the 34-year- old rolled back the years in style.
Dodds said: “I felt a lot of people would think that, ‘Oh well, you stand aside now you’re lucky to be there.’
“No chance! You get so much bad luck in this game so any good luck you take and you capitalise on it.
“I said that to my players before the game and we did.
“It’s the players’ best performance since I’ve been here. We’ve had some big results – back to Arbroath and beating Livingston here earlier in the season.
“But for an all-round performance, from start to finish, we showed the ruthless side.
“I’m delighted we’re through and we’ll see what we get.”
For Livi, it was another failure to get beyond the last-16 of the competition during manager David Martindale’s time at the club.
The hosts bossed the early stages but were dealt a blow when top scorer Bruce Anderson was forced off with an injury in the 13th minute.
Chances were few and far between but the Premiership side upped the tempo after the break.
And there would have been no surprise if Martindale had delivered the expletive-laden half-time team talk that sparked victory in the last round against Stenhousemuir.
But, against the run of play, it was Inverness who snatched the breakthrough in the 51st minute.
Jay Henderson chipped a pass over the top of the home defence and Mckay flashed a brilliant half-volley in to the top corner from the edge of the area.
It was 2- 0 in the 62nd minute when a ball over the top caused havoc in the home ranks and Welsh arrived to head Nathan Shaw’s cross in off the post.
It was a killer blow to the Lions and Inverness then sealed a brilliant win 10 minutes from time when Mckay drilled home from just outside the box.
Ayo Obileye was denied a consolation for Livi late on as Mark Ridgers brilliantly kept his header out.
Dodds added: “Billy has always been a goal scorer but there is so much more to his game. I’ve told him that and his all-round play was exceptional.
“They were two unbelievable finishes. He was brilliant today, being a pest.
“I told him goals will come if you do that – and they did.”